Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-30

ING HOME BAREf OOIb IbD-hA-NO-
FACTURE OF SHODDY GOODS.
In the manufacture of boots and
shoes for men, women and children,
some of the grossest impositiOns
and deceptions are carried on. a
well Informed mechanic said to a
reporter the other day
at is an outrage that manufac'
turers of boots and shoes should
be permitted to throw such trash
as they do upon the market. Why,
lust look at my shoes, and | only
bought them last week. My feet
are almost on the ground. might
be said to be walking on my up
pers.'"
"What's the trouble Z" was asked.
"Trouble. why, there's trouble
enough; and | am only one out OF
thirty or forty thousand persons in
this city who have been victimized
by the manufacturers and retailers
of these shoddy shoes. When l
first put on the shoes | am now
! wearing they looked as we'll as any
to be seen in the Broadway or
Fifth avenue stores but with the
first rainstOrm the soles began to
peel of, and upon examination l
found that the bottoms of my shoes
were made up of paper and scraps
of leather, which at first had the
appearance of leather. | went to
the store where l had purchased
them, but the boss gave me no
satisfaction. He said be didn't
make them; told me | had bought
them cheap, and somewhat inso-
lently wanted to know what | ex-
pected to get for SO. | told him in
plain words that ! expected to get
good shoe for that money. |
showed him the paper soles IN my
shoes, but that's all the good it did
me. | accused him of being a
swindler, pointed to the numerous
boxes of shoes about the store from
which | had seen him take the same
as mine, but he took the matter SO
coolly that l made up my mind he
was used to 1t. He had well ap-
pointed store, aud professed to
keep good stock, which, on account
of a big trade, he could afford to
sell comparatively cheap. At the
time there was a number of we'll
dressed women in the store, and
when they saw the paper sOled
shoes l held up, and heard what |
had to say about the goods on
hand, they gathered up their skirts
and walked out &; but the proprietor
didn't seem to mind it, as he knew
that his low priced shoes that were
labeled in the windows would draw
in plenty of custom. l tell you,
sir, Pm a hard working man, and
have large family to care for, but
it's money, money all the time to
buy SHOES for my children. Pm a
mechanic, and l know how good
work ought to stand"
Another workman with whom
the reporter conversed related
pretty much the same experience
in regard to shoes that he had
bought for his boys, and incident
ally mentioned a recent experience
of his wife. She had on pair Of
low cut shoes, and, CHANGING to
get caught in a heavy rainstorm,
came home almost barefooted. The
water had soaked through the
paste or composition, and the outer
sole, apparently of leather, had
nearly peeled off. The inside sole
was only paper. This mans ex'
perience was that these shoes
b would wear off so gradually in very
, dry weather that a good many
r couldn't notice it; bat let them be
worn out once or twice in rain
! storm, and then the wearer would
wonder what made the soles peel
; of. He said that he had to buy
as cheaply as possible, and no mat
ter in what store on the B0wery or
about the avenues he traded, the
4 proprietor or his clerk was always
willing to take an oath that the
shoes we're regularly sewed. 81
, tell you what, sir" he said, bluntly,
r "these are the days for trying
, mems soles," and the speaker
= laughed at the old joke.
' Several reputable shOemakers
denounced the impositions that
we're practiced in the manufacture
of sboddy shoes, as it was very
severe upon men who have to
, work hard for their money, and
only get small wages at the best.
I, One OF these shOemakers said
"Most of the cheap goods sold
in New York and elsewhere are
g made in Massachusetts,, mostly by
+. machinery, and the manufacturers
b use the offal OF leather-splits,
! skivers, paper or composition
s leather, or split horsehide. In
many mems, wOmen's and cbildren's
o shoes the inside is Of pasteboard,
and the lining is coarse enough to
= sift pears through: and then